Description from Goodreads
For what do you hunger . . .?
Lenore is the wife of steel magnate Henry, but ten years into their marriage the relationship has soured, and no child has arrived to fill the distance growing between them. Henry's ambitions take them from London to Sheffield, and with his success hinged on a hunt, an old tradition looms over the home; the hunt is a time to settle old scores. If a bullet finds a human home, then it is only that they were foolish to become prey. In the weeks leading up to the hunt, a carriage accident near their remote home brings the mysterious Carmilla into Lenore's life. Carmilla, who is weak and pale during the day but vibrant at night, Carmilla who will not eat meals with the family, Carmilla who stirs up a hunger deep within Lenore. Soon girls from local villages begin to fall sick before being consumed by a terrible hunger . . .
Set against the violent wilderness of the Peaks and the uncontrolled appetite of the industrial revolution Hungerstone is a compulsive feminist reworking of Carmilla, the book that inspired a captivating story of appetite and desire.
My Thoughts on the Book
I thought Hungerstone had both positive and negative elements to it. While it's about female rage, the hazard of industrialisation/factories, and some nice character development for Lenore, there were elements I struggled with.
It was really slow in the first two thirds, and then was a bit rushed in the end. I also felt the gothic elements were lacking, showing rather than telling about Lenore's past. There's also a lack of vampirism and sapphic elements the original Carmilla had.
I honestly struggled reading Hungerstone and didn't quite see the hype of the book. While it has a few positive elements to it, it has a few faults as well, in addition to not being a good retelling of Carmilla. If you're not reading it, you're not missing out that much. If nothing else, Hungerstone shows just why I'm a bit wary of hyped books sometimes.
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